Fighter jet opponents see Florida trip as 'junket'

Dec. 11, 2012

Rosanne Greco of the South Burlington City Council outside the fence of the Burlington International Airport in South Burlington in the summer. Of a Wednesday trip by the governor and others to listen to an F-35 jet fly at Eglin Air Force Base on the Florida Panhandle, Greco says, 'If it is to discuss the impacts of basing the F-35A in South Burlington, then all of the municipalities affected should be involved.' / GLENN RUSSELL / FREE PRESS

Free Press Staff Writer

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The upcoming Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation-sponsored F-35A assessment flight to Florida’s Eglin Air Force Base for Gov. Peter Shumlin, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger and Winooski Mayor Michael O’Brien is being described by opponents as a “junket” whose participants will return with predictable support for basing the expensive new fighter jet at Burlington’s Air Guard station.

Even as that trip unfolds, opponents of the basing have scheduled a 4 p.m. rally Wednesday afternoon in downtown Burlington at Sen. Patrick Leahy’s office. The purpose of the rally is to “demand” that the Democratic senator host a public meeting on the F-35A basing.

Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Peter Welch all support the basing.

The Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation, which supports the basing, is sponsoring the day-long trip Wednesday to Florida’s panhandle to a base where the fighter-bombers are being tested. In addition to the governor and the mayors, Air National Guard Brigadier Gen. Steven Cray will make the trip to Florida along with members of the local media including the Burlington Free Press.

Shumlin and Weinberger, along with the state’s entire congressional delegation, GBIC and local and state chambers of commerce, have strongly supported the basing of the plane. Some officials have minimized the potential impacts of noise, which are detailed in an Air Force Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

The South Burlington City Council, chaired by retired Air Force Col. Rosanne Greco, has opposed the basing, citing the impact from the noise on a South Burlington neighborhood near the airport that already copes with airplane noise. The South Burlington School Board and the Burlington and Winooski city councils have expressed concerns and asked for more information about the impacts of the basing.

“Do I think it is worth going to Eglin AFB to hear the plane?” Greco said in a prepared statement. “If someone has the time and money and wants to satisfy their own curiosity, then that is their prerogative. What I (or anyone else think about the noise is irrelevant. However, I think that a better use of time would be to read the DEIS and talk to some of those ... folks who will have to live with this decision for the rest of their lives.”

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Greco, who bristles after a 30-year Air Force career at suggestions she is anti-military, quotes the DEIS as documenting that the F-35A will result in many more individuals being exposed to cumulative sound averages of 65 decibels or more — a level the Federal Aviation Administration has determined is too loud for residential areas.

The DEIS offers two “scenarios” of F-35A basing, one with 18 planes (the number of F-16s flying from BIA) and one with 24 planes. “Under boh scenarios,” the DEIS says, “the overall area affected by noise levels of 65 decibel (day-night average sound level — DNL) would increase as would residential land use subject to (increased noise levels). Some residential areas would be newly subject to noise above 65 dB DNL.”

Affected households would rise under Scenario One from 1,578 to 2,516 and to 2,944 in Scenario Two, the DEIS says. Affected individuals would rise from 3,812 with the F-16s to 5,632 with the F-35A under Scenario One and to 6,675 in Scenario Two.

Greco notes that those figures are calculated with census data from 2,000 and said using data from the 2010 census, the noise average above 65 decibels would actually affect “closer to 10,400” individuals.”

Greco said in her statement that if Wednesday’s excursion “is just a trip of friends going South,” hers or fellow-councilors’ exclusion is unimportant, “but if it is to discuss the impacts of basing the F-35A in South Burlington, then all of the municipalities affected should be involved.”

Winooski Mayor O’Brien said that he would assess the sound of the F-35A “first, with my own ears, and I hope to bring an iPad and/or a decibel reader to record what I hear.”

He said he has read the DEIS and believes “more and updated information is needed.”

He and GBIC President Frank Cioffi both said they believe they will see the F-35A rather than other versions of the plane.

Cioffi told the Free Press he has read the entire DEIS and remains supportive of the basing plan, citing overall benefits to the region. He said that while it is “fair” to note that no definitive numbers have been issued on Air Guard jobs that would be retained or lost if the F-35A is based elsewhere, the GBIC is concerned about retaining the existing jobs. “We think this is absolutely critical to the future of the Vermont Air Guard,” he said. “It’s all about jobs for us.”

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Shumlin’s assistant Susan Allen said Shumlin “will listen to F-35 takeoffs and speak with the pilots about ways they mitigate noise.” She added, “The exposure to the take-off noise for local residents will be six minutes per day, four days a week.”

She also said the basing “would protect 1,100 Vermont Guard jobs” and its “$55 million payroll.”

Weinberger said he hasn’t read the complete DEIS but has “reviewed sections” and has followed the local debate. He said that while Wednesday’s exposure to the F-35A takeoffs isn’t equivalent to the daily exposure that would be faced by those near the base, “nonetheless, I believe it will be worthwhile to experience the difference between an F-35 and an F-16 at takeoff.”

Weinberger also said that while the economics of the basing remain unclear, “my sense is that the likelihood of retaining (economic activity generated by the base) is far more certain if the F-35A is based here than if it is not.”

The Stop the F-35 Coalition’s online newsletter calls the Florida trip a “junket” and has posted comments condemning the trip. “It is patently ridiculous to allow subjective response to the noie of the F35s to color this debate from our Governor and Burlington Mayor who are adamantly in favor of the basing,” said one unsigned comment. “We need verifiable, quatifiable analysis and scientific measurements of this stealth bomber/fighter jet, not the subjective opinion of those already in favor.”

Wednesday rally

The Stop the F-35 group staging Wednesday’s rally has said it will send a “delegation” into Leahy’s office to try to speak to him, while the rally continues outside.

It said in its announcement that Leahy has refused to meet with opponents previously.

Leahy’s spokesman replied that the issues surrounding the F-35 had been the topic of several public meetings and said staff members of the congressional delegation “also have met with citizens and local officials” as well as answering letters.

The anti-basing group is contemplating legal action and said in a news release that “we have a good case for compelling the basing of F-35s to go through Act 250 review.” The group said it is also about to begin a drive to place a “legally binding” referendum on the Burlington ballot “to force Mayor Winberger and the City of Burlington as owner of the airport to deny use to the F-35.”